Student housing proposed at site of former pesticide manufacturer in Edinburg
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A proposal to re-zone the grounds of a former pesticide plant is moving through the approvals process in Edinburg.
A recent environmental review commissioned by the developer shows higher than normal concentrations of some contaminants.
The site is the former Tide Products Inc. facility at the corner of Schunior and Closner Blvd. The building is gone, but the remaining 16 acres is being considered for re-zoning.
Trevino Engineering is asking the Edinburg Planning and Zoning Commission for the change. The Engineering firm is requesting re-zoning from industrial to an auto-urban designation on the behalf of the Tide Products Inc., which still owns the property.
RELATED COVERAGE: 'The ground was contaminated': Edinburg neighborhood proposed at old pesticide site
Developer Marco Lopez said the plan is to build 47 fourplexes.
“I think it would be great for student housing,” said Lopez.
The proposal was first brought to the commission in February. At that time, several board members raised questions about possible contamination. The request was tabled.
Returning in July, Trevino Engineering presented a 100+ page Limited Phase 2 environmental review. The type of study is used to review the extent of leftover contaminants at industrial sites. The firm drilled soil samples at 12 locations. The study revealed higher than normal concentrations of lead, barium and arsenic — but still below the threshold for cleanup action under rules by the TCEQ.
“We would always go to that property and play in the sand,” said Beatriz Flores, who grew up across from the Tide site and still lives there. She was one of 47 neighbors notified about the proposal. In February, she gave her comments expressing concern to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
“I’m concerned that this property is contaminated,” she told board members.
Recalling her childhood days, Flores said workers warned her not to play in the dirt.
“They actually asked us to leave because the ground was contaminated with fertilizers or even petroleum or other chemicals,” she said.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was involved in the cleanup of the Tide site. The former manufacturer made pesticides that were labeled poisonous to humans, according to a label filed with the EPA. Instructions on the label instructed users to “induce vomiting” if swallowed and keep out of reach of children.
The TCEQ took over cleanup efforts in the 90s, removing two underground petroleum storage tanks in 1995 and 1996. The agency reports the site was considered for federal Superfund status in 2012, but “it was determined to not be eligible.”
Some experts warn the problem with such sites lies in knowing what contaminants to test for.
A Phase 2 review which looks for physical traces onsite, is informed by a Phase 1 study which reviews available records to determine what chemicals were present, said Debbie Chizewer, a managing attorney for Earthjustice, who’s worked on other cases involving redevelopment of industrial sites.
"It’s vital that people understand what’s on the land and ensure that it’s cleaned up before moving people into it,” said Chizewer.
The proposal is expected to be heard by the Edinburg City Council once it’s finalized by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
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